Is CVE-2021-20168 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2021-20168 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2021-20168 be exploited remotely?

No. CVE-2021-20168 requires physical access to exploit.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-20168?

CVE-2021-20168 has a CVSS score of 6.8 (MEDIUM).

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MEDIUM

CVE-2021-20168

CWE-287Published: December 30, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Netgear RAX43 version 1.0.3.96 does not have sufficient protections to the UART interface. A malicious actor with physical access to the device is able to connect to the UART port via a serial connection, login with default credentials, and execute commands as the root user. These default credentials are admin:admin.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-20168 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 6.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-287): Authentication bypass vulnerabilities allow attackers to access protected resources without valid credentials.